


A Heavy Heart to Carry

by Capucine



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alien Invasion, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon Het Relationship, Canon-Typical Violence, Disasters, Doomed Relationship, F/M, Love, Sad, Short One Shot, Song Inspired, Tragedy, downer, ish?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-21 10:44:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6048565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capucine/pseuds/Capucine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tim and Stephanie have been caught in an alien invasion, and suffered severe injuries. It's not likely that both of them are going to make it. Tim is stubborn, though, and tries anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Heavy Heart to Carry

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Heavy in Your Arms by Florence + the Machine! :D
> 
> Warning: kinda graphic and sad!

He was trying.

He was trying so goddamn hard.

Tim thought he could feel a new burst of tears coming on, but he couldn't allow them. He had to focus all his strength on Stephanie, on getting her out of here. He couldn't even grit out a plea between his teeth--the ones that were still there, that hadn't been smashed out.

Alien invasions sucked ass, and he almost laughed at that.

Almost, because he needed to focus on getting Steph out of there. Her fingers, encased in purple, gripped his neck all too weakly, like paper that happened to stick.

Her head had pressed against his chest in the beginning, but now it lolled back. Her blue eyes were on him, blinking hazily. 

The red-brown stain on her chest, leaking through everything, getting on Tim's damaged red uniform, some on his face and hands and just _everywhere_ , was a constant, sticky reminder that time was too valuable to waste for anything.

Even as his arms were going numb. She was heavier and heavier every staggering step he took, his boots feeling like they were made of concrete. Spots danced in his vision, and he _could not_ go under now, no one would save Steph, no one could--

Knowledge of their location would be necessary for that.

He swallowed drily, tongue seeming to click in his mouth. His ears were ringing--he was pretty sure he wouldn't hear Steph even if she could talk.

He staggered forward two more steps, the dust of crumbled buildings being thrown up into the air as he did so. He could feel blood on his lips, streaking from his nose, all sticky and cracking and drying.

And he could tell, just tell, that Steph was cold. That she was getting weaker and weaker and soon to slip.

And he wouldn't allow it. Couldn't.

A dry sob came from his throat as his knee buckled, sending him down into a haphazard genuflect, and then falling more--Steph's fingers tightened, but the only thing keeping her in his arms was him, and goddamnit, his knee just tore like a handkerchief, or finished tearing, or--

Focus, he told himself, trying so hard to make the knee work, _Batman would make it work_ , a mouthful of blood came out of his mouth as he tried to open it and plead with _something_ to let him save Steph.

The blood was too hot and coppery, and he nearly wept. Steph was getting cold. Steph was losing that spark in her eyes. Steph was going to go into shock--and then what?

She let herself lay on the ground there, a bit of gnarled metal digging into her back--she didn't seem to notice, but Tim did, could feel the other side of it bruisingly pressed into his own hip. His foot helplessly moved on his decent leg, trying to gain traction and get them both up, but it was like he had no battery--he couldn't. It just kept shutting down.

He sobbed, blood and drool coming from his mouth. He could feel Steph press a thumb against his wrist, fingers too lax to grip as well.

He tried to tell her he was sorry, as his vision started to swim, as a horde of eels seemed to swim through his gut, as his world was closing off.

'I know' she mouthed.

'I love you' she mouthed after that.

He thought she was crying too. He wasn't sure.

He managed to sort of flop over her, holding tight, and he could feel her arms move a bit in response. The slide of thick gloves on kevlar.

He passed out before the rescue. Before the heroes made it through the barrier that protected the aliens.

They made it. He made it.

Steph didn't make it.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry for writing deathfics lately. That's just what this song made me think of. Probably going to do a number of randomly selected song inspired oneshots tonight, as I work on dishes and chapters for fics.


End file.
